Science projects
Your Science Exhibition Guide
Choose a project, build it, present it and answer the judges with confidence
Science project idea finder
1029 science project ideas, from class 1 to college.
Find a project by class, subject and type. Every idea explains the science it shows, what you need, how long it takes and how to stay safe, with free ebooks and ready-made kits if you need them. 930 ideas have numbered steps and viva questions on their own page.
Want a complete build with diagrams? 16 free detailed project guides
- Class 1 to 5Simple, safe models made with help at home.224 ideas
- Class 6 to 8Working models of the science you learn in class.485 ideas
- Class 9 and 10Energy, electricity, light and first robots.467 ideas
- Class 11 and 12Investigatory projects for the practical exam.332 ideas
- College and diplomaArduino, IoT and sensor projects.119 ideas
Idea finder
Find your project
Choose your class and what interests you, or search for a word such as magnet, solar, heart or robot. Open any card for a summary, or its title for the full page with the science, the steps and the viva questions.
PhysicsMedium
Principle of moments board from a ruler and paper-clip hooks
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A beam stays balanced when the clockwise moment equals the anticlockwise moment. The board lets students test the rule with known weights.
You will need
- A 30 cm ruler or a wooden scale
- A thread to hang it
- Paper clips as hooks
- Small identical coins or nuts as weights
- A stand made from a cardboard box
- Pencil and notebook
Safety: Keep small coins and nuts away from small children. An adult should help set up the stand.
Take it further: Use unequal arms and find the mass of an unknown object using the law.
PhysicsMedium
Cardboard dam model that shows why a dam is thicker at the base
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Water pressure grows with depth, so the base of a dam must be thicker than the top. The model has a spillway and a sluice gate and shows how stored water gives energy.
You will need
- A large plastic tub or tray
- Corrugated cardboard covered with plastic film
- Clay or plasticine to seal gaps
- A bottle with water
- Small paper boats
- Waterproof tape and a ruler
Safety: Work over a tray. An adult must cut the cardboard and clean up the spilled water.
Take it further: Compare the jet distance at three different depths and plot it.
PhysicsMedium
Newton’s cradle from marbles, thread and an ice-cream stick frame
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
When one ball hits a row of balls, the one at the far end swings out and the others stay still. This shows that momentum and energy are conserved in an elastic collision.
You will need
- Five identical steel balls or large marbles
- Strong thread
- Ice-cream sticks to make a frame
- Strong glue or tape
- A ruler
- Small beads and clay to hold the thread
Safety: An adult must cut and glue the frame. Keep marbles away from small children.
Take it further: Replace one marble with a heavier one and see what happens.
PhysicsEasy
Pizza box solar oven that warms a cup of water
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Foil reflects sunlight into the box, a clear cover traps heat, and a black cup absorbs it. The test shows how reflection, absorption and trapping of heat make a solar cooker.
You will need
- A clean pizza box or a shoe box
- Aluminium foil
- Black paper or paint
- Cling film or a clear plastic sheet
- A stick to prop the lid
- A thermometer
- A steel cup with water
Safety: The box and cup can become hot, so an adult must handle them. Never look at the reflected glare; wear sunglasses.
Take it further: Change the tilt of the flap with the Sun and note the best angle.
PhysicsEasy
Balloon-skin tin can drum where sound makes rice dance
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Sound is a vibration. When a loud sound hits the stretched balloon, it vibrates and makes grains of rice jump, so we can see the vibration.
You will need
- An empty steel can with both ends removed (adult) or a large bowl
- A balloon
- A rubber band
- A pinch of rice grains or salt
- A tray or another can to bang on
- A loud pan or a speaker
Safety: An adult must open the can and cover the edges with tape. Protect ears from very loud sounds.
Take it further: Compare a tight and a loose balloon and see which jiggles the rice more.
PhysicsMedium
Spool block and tackle that lifts a brick: counting the ropes
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Several rope sections supporting a load share its weight. The mechanical advantage equals the number of supporting rope sections, so you pull a longer length with less force.
You will need
- Four empty thread spools or round discs
- Strong string, about 4 metres
- Two ice-cream stick frames or cardboard holders
- A hook and a half-brick or a bag of sand
- A spring balance or a rubber band
- A measuring tape
Safety: Keep feet clear of the load. An adult must supervise lifting heavier loads and cut the frame pieces.
Take it further: Compute efficiency as work out divided by work in for each setup.
PhysicsMedium
Solar cell I-V curve and maximum power point with a potentiometer load
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A solar panel is not a battery: its voltage and current change with the load. By plotting current against voltage and power against voltage, a student finds the maximum power point, fill factor and effect of shading, which are the basis of MPPT charge controllers.
You will need
- A 6 V, 1 W or 2 W small solar panel
- A 100 Ω, 5 W rheostat or a 1 kΩ potentiometer with a 10 Ω series resistor
- Two digital multimeters
- A lux meter app or a reference cell
- Cardboard strips for shading
- A spreadsheet
Safety: Panels of this size are low voltage. Do not stare at bright reflected sun. Rheostats get warm, so an adult must be present, and use fixed connectors rather than loose wires.
Take it further: Build an Arduino I-V tracer that sweeps a MOSFET load automatically and plots the curve on the laptop.
PhysicsMedium
Peltier mini cooler box: temperature drop with different heat sinks
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Mini fridges for medicines and vaccines in remote places use Peltier modules, which pump heat electrically without gas. The project builds a small insulated box and shows that how well the hot side is cooled decides how cold the box becomes.
You will need
- A TEC1-12706 Peltier module, 12 V, run at reduced power
- Two aluminium heat sinks and a 12 V fan
- A 12 V, 5 A ready adapter or a 12 V battery
- A thermocol box with a lid
- Thermal paste
- Two digital thermometers or DS18B20 sensors
- A switch and wires
Safety: The hot side of the module can exceed 70 degrees and the module can be destroyed without a heat sink. Never run it without the fan. Use a sealed 12 V supply only. An adult must supervise.
Take it further: Add a DS18B20 sensor and an Arduino with a relay to hold the box at 8 degrees by switching the module on and off.
PhysicsChallenging
DC motor torque-speed curve and back EMF measured with a rope brake
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Selecting a motor for a robot or pump needs its torque-speed curve and efficiency. A homemade rope brake loads a small motor with known torque, while voltage, current and rpm are measured to plot the characteristics and show the back EMF effect.
You will need
- A 12 V DC motor with a 3 cm pulley on its shaft
- A cord, two kitchen spring balances (0 to 1 kg) or two 100 g weight sets
- A 12 V battery or sealed adapter
- Two multimeters
- An IR tachometer made from a sensor and Arduino, or a phone app tachometer
- A wooden stand with clamps
- A ruler and thermometer
Safety: Use a battery or sealed adapter only. Keep hair, clothing and fingers away from the pulley. The motor and cord will get hot, so keep each run short. An adult must supervise.
Take it further: Repeat at 6 V and 9 V supply and show that the whole line moves down in speed with the same slope.
PhysicsMedium
Rotating-magnet coil generator: output voltage against speed and turns
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Bicycle dynamos and wind turbines make electricity from a moving magnet near a coil. The project builds a model generator and tests how peak voltage depends on the speed of rotation and the number of turns, which is Faraday’s law in action.
You will need
- A cardboard or wooden disc with four neodymium magnets fixed at the edge
- A motor or a hand crank to spin it (a 12 V geared motor with variable battery voltage)
- Three bobbins wound with 100, 200 and 400 turns of enamelled wire
- A sound-card scope app or a multimeter with AC range
- An IR tachometer or phone app to measure rpm
- A stand, glue, tape
Safety: Neodymium magnets are very strong and can pinch fingers or shatter. Keep them away from phones, cards and pacemakers. An adult must handle the magnets and the motor.
Take it further: Add a bridge rectifier and a 1000 µF capacitor to get DC and light a 5 V LED at the highest speed.
PhysicsMedium
Falling magnet through a coil recorded with a phone sound card
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A magnet dropped through a coil induces a voltage pulse, and one dropped through a copper pipe falls slowly because of eddy currents. The project records both events and measures how induced voltage depends on speed and how Lenz’s law slows the fall.
You will need
- A coil of about 500 turns of enamelled wire on a plastic pipe
- A neodymium magnet that slides inside the pipe
- A copper pipe about 50 cm long and a plastic pipe of the same size
- A 3.5 mm audio jack and a 10 kΩ resistor in series
- A laptop with free audio-recording software such as Audacity
- A stopwatch or phone slow-motion video
Safety: Strong magnets can pinch skin and snap together hard. An adult must handle them. Never connect the coil directly to a phone input without the series resistor.
Take it further: Cut a slit along the copper pipe and show that the magnet now falls faster because eddy currents are broken.
PhysicsMedium
Slider-crank and scotch yoke models compared for piston displacement
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Engines, compressors and pumps convert rotation to straight-line motion. A slider-crank gives a motion that is not quite sinusoidal, and a scotch yoke gives a perfect sine. The project builds both from plywood or acrylic and measures piston position against crank angle.
You will need
- 6 mm plywood or acrylic sheets
- Bolts, nuts and washers M4
- A 12 V geared motor or a hand crank
- Metal rods or bolts as pins
- A ruler glued along the slider
- A protractor disc fixed to the crank
- A phone for slow-motion video
Safety: Wear eye protection when cutting and drilling, and an adult must use the saw and drill. Keep fingers clear of the moving links.
Take it further: Add a spring-loaded pen to draw the displacement graph on a moving paper strip, a mechanical oscilloscope.
PhysicsMedium
Spur gear train model testing speed ratio, torque and backlash
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Gearboxes in bicycles, clocks and winches trade speed for torque. A model gear train made from salvaged toy gears or laser-cut MDF lets a student check that the speed ratio equals the inverse of the teeth ratio and measure backlash and losses.
You will need
- A set of plastic gears with 12, 24, 36 and 60 teeth (from old toys or hobby gear kits)
- A wooden or MDF base with 4 mm shafts and bearings made of straws
- A 12 V small motor and a pulley to lift weights
- Cord and 50 g weights
- A stopwatch or tachometer
- Marker paint for the gear teeth reference
Safety: Keep fingers away from the meshing gears. An adult must cut MDF and drill. Use a battery or sealed 12 V adapter for the motor.
Take it further: Build a three-speed selector with sliding gears and compare the measured top speed for each ratio.
PhysicsMedium
Four-bar linkage wiper mechanism and its coupler curve plotted on paper
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Windscreen wipers, bike pedals and door closers use four-bar linkages. A linkage turns one motion into another through four links and four pins. The project builds a crank-rocker model, traces the path of a point on the coupler and checks the Grashof rule for which links can rotate fully.
You will need
- Plywood, acrylic or thick card strips cut to lengths 5, 10, 12 and 14 cm
- M4 bolts, nuts, washers
- A drawing board and paper
- A pencil or pen fixed at a point on the coupler
- A protractor
- A hand crank or a 12 V geared motor
Safety: An adult must cut and drill the strips. Keep fingers away from pinch points while the linkage moves.
Take it further: Use a spreadsheet to compute the coupler curve for each crank angle and compare with the drawn path.
PhysicsMedium
Cam and follower model: three profiles and their displacement diagrams
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Engine valves and sewing machines use cams to give exact timed motion. The project cuts three cam profiles, measures the follower rise at each angle and plots a displacement diagram, which shows why the shape of the profile matters for smooth motion.
You will need
- 3 mm plywood or acrylic sheet
- A scroll saw or hand saw and sandpaper
- A shaft of 6 mm rod or bolt with a hand crank
- A follower made from a rod in a guide
- A ruler or dial indicator
- A protractor disc
- Graph paper
Safety: An adult must cut the sheet and drill. Wear a dust mask when sanding.
Take it further: Drive the cam with a 12 V motor and measure the follower motion with a phone video at 240 frames per second.
PhysicsMedium
Warren truss bridge from ice-cream sticks tested to failure
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Railway and road bridges use trusses because a triangle is rigid and each member carries either tension or compression. The project builds a Warren truss, loads it step by step until it fails, and compares the failure load with a simple member-force calculation.
You will need
- About 150 flat wooden ice-cream sticks
- Wood glue (white PVA)
- Two tables or two stacks of books 40 cm apart
- A bucket and a measured amount of sand or water in bottles to load
- A weighing scale
- A ruler and protractor
- Pins and cling film for the template
Safety: Wear eye protection when loading to failure, because sticks can snap. Keep feet and hands away from the falling load. An adult must supervise.
Take it further: Build a Pratt truss of the same weight and compare the failure load with the Warren truss.
PhysicsMedium
Model footing on sand: bearing load against footing width and depth
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Buildings stand on foundations that spread the load over soil. The project loads small square footings on a tray of sand and shows that a wider footing carries more total load but the same or lower pressure, and that burying the footing raises its capacity.
You will need
- A strong plastic tub or wooden box 40 x 40 x 30 cm filled with dry sand
- Square footings 3 cm, 5 cm and 7 cm cut from wood
- A loading rod and a bucket or plate
- Sand or water in bottles as weights
- A dial gauge or ruler with a pointer
- A kitchen scale
Safety: Dust from sand can irritate eyes and lungs: wear a mask. Keep the load stack low to avoid toppling. An adult must supervise.
Take it further: Repeat with wet sand and with a clay-sand mix to show how water and cohesion change the result.
PhysicsMedium
Simply supported wooden beam: deflection test and Young’s modulus estimate
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Floors, shelves and bridges bend under load. A strip of wood supported at both ends and loaded at the middle bends by an amount that depends on its depth, length and Young’s modulus. The project measures the deflection and calculates the modulus for different woods.
You will need
- Strips of wood or bamboo of about 60 cm length with rectangular section (for example 2 x 1 cm)
- Two knife-edge supports made from nails or metal rods
- A hanger and 50 g weights
- A metre rule and a pointer or a dial gauge
- A vernier caliper
- A spreadsheet
Safety: Do not overload the strip because it can snap. Keep your feet away from the falling weights. An adult must supervise.
Take it further: Test a steel ruler and a bamboo strip and rank the materials by stiffness and strength to weight ratio.
PhysicsChallenging
Micro-hydro Pelton wheel model: electrical power against head and flow
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Hill villages in Uttarakhand, Himachal and the North East run small hydro plants on streams. A bucket wheel turned by a jet of water drives a generator. The project builds a Pelton-style wheel from spoons or cups, drives a small motor as a generator and measures how output power changes with head and flow, and finds efficiency.
You will need
- A wheel made from a plastic or wooden disc with 12 steel or plastic spoons or cups
- A 12 V DC motor to act as a generator, a pulley or direct coupling
- A water tank or a 20 litre drum raised on a stand, a nozzle of 4 to 6 mm from a pipe cap with a drilled hole
- Pipe, valve and a bucket with a stopwatch to measure flow
- A rheostat or resistor load and two multimeters
- A pump-free recirculating tray or a drain outdoors
Safety: Keep water away from electrical connections, and use a low-voltage motor only. An adult must handle drilling and the raised tank to stop it from toppling. Keep the floor dry to prevent slipping.
Take it further: Compare the cup shape of spoons with a half-ball plastic cup and a split cup and measure the gain in efficiency.
PhysicsChallenging
Savonius vertical-axis wind turbine: blade design and power coefficient test
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Small wind turbines for rooftops and villages must work with turbulent, low wind speeds. A Savonius rotor made from half-cut drums or pipes works without turning to face the wind. The project builds three rotor designs, tests them in a box fan wind stream and calculates their power coefficient.
You will need
- Three rotors made from half-cut PVC pipes or aluminium sheets with different overlap ratios (0, 15 and 30 percent), height 30 cm and diameter 25 cm
- A shaft, bearings and a stand
- A small DC motor or alternator as a generator
- A table fan or a household pedestal fan used as a wind source on a stand (not modified)
- An anemometer or a phone app with a sensor, and a tape measure
- A resistor load and two multimeters
Safety: Keep fingers and hair away from the fan and the rotor. Fix the rotor firmly so that blades do not fly off. Use the fan as supplied from a sealed plug and do not open or modify it. An adult must supervise.
Take it further: Twist the rotor by 90 degrees between two stacked stages to smooth the torque and compare its Cp with that of the single stage.
PhysicsChallenging
Suspension bridge model: cable sag, deck load and tower deflection test
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Long river bridges in India, like the ones at Bhagalpur and Rishikesh, are cable-based structures. A model with two towers, a main cable and hangers shows how deck loads travel through the hangers to the cable and then to the anchors. The project measures cable sag and tension and checks them against the parabola theory.
You will need
- Two wooden towers 40 cm tall
- A strong cotton or nylon cord as the main cable
- Thinner thread for hangers, 12 of them
- A deck made of a balsa or ice-cream stick strip 80 cm long
- Two clamps or heavy bases as anchors
- Two spring balances (kitchen type, up to 1 kg) at the anchors
- Small weights, a ruler and a pointer
Safety: Do not overload the cord and keep faces away from the cable when loading to failure. An adult must supervise, and use eye protection.
Take it further: Hang a small motor with an off-centre weight under the deck to shake it and find the resonance frequency with a phone accelerometer.
PhysicsChallenging
Shake table for model buildings with an MPU6050 and a base isolation test
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
Large parts of India lie in seismic zones, and building codes require earthquake-resistant design. A low-cost shake table moves a model building side to side at chosen frequencies. The project finds the natural frequency of tall and short models, shows resonance and tests a rolling base isolator.
You will need
- A 40 x 40 cm plywood platform on linear rails made from drawer slides
- A 12 V geared DC motor with a crank and connecting rod for a stroke of 1 to 2 cm
- A PWM motor driver and a 12 V sealed supply
- Model buildings from balsa or ice-cream sticks: a 3-storey and a 6-storey frame with weights as floors
- An MPU6050 accelerometer and Arduino, or a phone accelerometer app
- Marbles between two plates for a base isolator
- A phone for slow-motion video
Safety: Keep clear of the moving platform and clamp the base to the table. Use a battery or sealed 12 V adapter only. An adult must supervise, especially when the model sways strongly.
Take it further: Add diagonal bracing to the 6-storey model and show how it raises the natural frequency and lowers the sway.
PhysicsChallenging
Hydraulic ram pump model from PVC fittings with a delivery head test
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A hydraulic ram (hydram) lifts part of the water from a stream to a much higher tank without fuel or electricity, using only the flow of water itself. It is used in hill villages. The project builds a small one from PVC fittings and measures delivery height, flow and efficiency.
You will need
- Pipe and fittings: a 25 mm drive pipe 2 m long, a swing check valve (waste valve), a spring check valve (delivery valve), a T-joint, a 25 to 50 mm air chamber of 40 cm tube with a cap
- A header tank or bucket at 1 to 1.5 m above the pump (a drum on a stand)
- Delivery pipe of 12 mm and a measuring bucket
- PTFE tape, sealant, clamps
- A stopwatch, tape measure
- A drain or outdoor area
Safety: Use outdoors where water can run to waste. The waste valve slams shut and can hit fingers, so keep hands clear. An adult must handle cutting and assembly and the raised tank.
Take it further: Fit a snifter valve to add air to the chamber and show how it stabilises the delivery over a long run.
PhysicsChallenging
Low temperature difference Stirling engine from tin cans run on hot water
Show detailsHide detailsWhat it shows
A Stirling engine runs on any heat difference, even hot water against room air, which makes it suitable for solar and waste heat. The project builds a gamma-type engine from tin cans, a displacer and a syringe, and measures rpm against the temperature difference.
You will need
- Two flat aluminium or tin cans with the same diameter (for example a cake tin and a lid), 10 cm wide
- A displacer disc of foam or thermocol
- A 20 ml glass or plastic syringe as the power piston
- Stiff wire for the crank and rod, a CD as flywheel, bearings from straws
- A mug of hot water at 70 to 80 degrees, ice water for cooling (optional)
- A digital thermometer or two
- A phone video camera for measuring rpm
Safety: Hot water scalds, so an adult must pour it. Cut cans carefully, with gloves, filing the edges smooth. Keep the engine on a tray to catch spills.
Take it further: Place the engine in a solar cooker or under a magnifying mirror and measure the rpm with sunlight as the heat source.
Before you start
How to choose a good project
Six things to think about before you decide. A project you understand and finish well beats a big one you rush.
Start with a question
Good projects answer a question you are curious about: why does iron rust, which fabric keeps tea hottest, how does a robot follow a line? A question gives your project a purpose.
Check what is asked
Find out whether your teacher wants a working model, a still model or an investigatory project, the size limits, the topic or theme, the date, and whether ready-made models are allowed.
Match your time and class
Each idea here shows a class band, a difficulty and a rough time. Choose something you can finish properly with time to test it, rather than something huge you have to rush.
Pick science you can explain
Judges and examiners ask how it works. Choose an idea whose science you understand, or can learn from your textbook and the free ebooks, and practise explaining it.
List materials and costs
Write down everything you need before you start. Many models use things from home; motors, LEDs, sensors and boards are easy to buy as spare parts or in a kit.
Make it your own
Change one thing and measure what happens, add a chart of your readings, or show a real-life use. Even a well-known model becomes yours when you add your own observations.
Plan your time
A four-week project timeline
Work backwards from the date of your exhibition or submission. Short of time? Do the same steps faster, but never skip testing.
- 4 weeks before
Choose and get it approved
- Shortlist two or three ideas
- Write your aim or question in one sentence
- Show your teacher and agree the idea
- 3 weeks before
Read and collect materials
- Read the science in your textbook and a free ebook
- Sketch the design with measurements
- Collect or buy the materials and spare parts
- 2 weeks before
Build and test
- Build one part at a time and test each part
- For an investigation, repeat each reading at least three times
- Write every observation in a notebook with the date
- 1 week before
Write the report and chart
- Aim, materials, method, observations, result and conclusion
- A neat table or graph of your readings
- A chart or poster with a labelled diagram
- Last 2 days
Rehearse
- Practise a one-minute explanation out loud
- Prepare answers to the questions below
- Pack spares: cells, wires, tape and glue
On the day
Present it with confidence
You will usually have a minute or two to explain your project, then questions. Practise both out loud at home.
A one-minute explanation
- 1Name and question“My project is a … It answers the question …”
- 2What it showsOne sentence of science, in your own words.
- 3How it worksPoint to each part as you explain it.
- 4What you foundYour readings or result, and what they mean.
- 5Real lifeWhere the same science is used every day.
Questions judges often ask
- What does your project show, in one sentence?
- How does it work? Which law or idea of science is behind it?
- What did you change, and what did you measure?
- What went wrong while you were making it, and how did you fix it?
- Where is this idea used in real life?
- What would you improve if you made it again?
What your project file needs
- Title page with your name, class and school
- Aim or question
- Introduction: the science behind it
- Materials list
- Method, step by step, with a diagram
- Observations in a table
- Result and conclusion
- Precautions and safety
- Sources: books and websites you used
Projects and kits
Ready-made projects, kits and spare parts
Need a working model, a kit to build yourself, or a motor, LED, battery or sensor to finish your own? Every idea card links to the matching section of the store.
School Projects, Class 1 to 9
Ready-made working models for class 1 to 9: science, maths, physics, chemistry and biology.Browse
School Projects, Class 10 to 12
Working models and investigatory projects for class 10, 11 and 12.Browse
Best Out of Waste
Models made from bottles, cardboard and old parts, for waste-management themes.Browse
Robotics and Coding
Robot kits, Arduino projects, line followers, obstacle avoiders and smart projects.Browse
DIY Kits
Kits with every part and step-by-step instructions, to build the model yourself.Browse
Components and Spares
Motors, LEDs, batteries, switches, wires, sensors and breadboards to build or repair.Browse
Engineering Projects
Minor and major projects for diploma and BTech students.Browse
Cannot find what you need? Ask the head office on WhatsApp.
Free ebooks
Free books for making projects
Step-by-step project books for every class, plus guides to exhibitions, project files and viva questions. Free to download, read and print.
Science projects
Writing a Science Project File
How to write the report, from the cover page to the bibliography
Science projects
Viva Questions for Science Projects
How to answer examiner questions, with sample questions for popular projects
Science projects
Easy Science Projects for Class 1 to 5
Simple, safe projects young children can make with a little help
Science projects
Science Projects for Class 6 to 8
Working models matched to middle-school science topics
Science projects
Investigatory Projects for Class 11 and 12
Topics, method and report structure for physics, chemistry and biology
Stay safe
Safety rules for every project
Read these with a parent before you start. Ideas that need extra care carry their own safety note on the card.
Never use mains electricity
Power your models with cells, batteries or a low-voltage adapter. Never connect anything home-made to a wall socket.
Adult help for sharp and hot tools
Cutters, blades, glue guns, soldering irons and drills need an adult beside you. Cut away from your body on a board.
Chemicals with care
Use only safe household materials at home. Acids, stains and other lab chemicals are for the school lab with your teacher. Wear goggles and never taste anything.
Flames only with an adult
Candles and burners only with an adult present and water nearby. Tie back long hair and keep paper away.
Look after batteries
Do not short-circuit a battery, mix old and new cells, or puncture or heat a lithium battery. Remove batteries when the model is stored.
Small parts away from little ones
Magnets, button cells and small parts can be swallowed. Keep them away from younger brothers and sisters, and wash your hands after making.
Questions about science projects
Still have a question?
Chat on WhatsAppWhat is the difference between a working model, a still model and an investigatory project?
A working model moves or works to show a principle, such as a windmill that lights an LED. A still model shows how something is built or arranged, such as the layers of the Earth. An investigatory project asks a question and answers it by experiment: you change one thing, measure the result and draw a conclusion from your readings.
Can I buy a ready-made project?
Check your school’s rules first: some competitions want models made by the student, and some allow ready-made ones. Either way, you must understand how it works and be able to explain it. A good approach is to build from a kit, or to add your own measurements and chart to a ready-made model.
How long does a school project take?
Each idea here shows a rough time for the making. Leave extra time for reading, testing, the report and practice: three to four weeks from choosing to presenting is comfortable for most school projects.
What should go in my project report or file?
A title page, your aim, the science behind it, the materials, the method with a diagram, your observations in a table, the result and conclusion, precautions, and the books and websites you used. The free ebook “Writing a Science Project File” explains each part.
What if my model stops working on the day?
Carry spare cells, wires and tape, and test everything when you arrive. Take a short video or photos of it working at home. If something still fails, explain calmly what should happen and what you would check: judges value understanding as much as a perfect model.
More help
Stuck on a project?
Read the student help pages, try the free calculators for circuits and units, or ask the head office on WhatsApp.